Michael Sam gets a reality show on Oprah’s network

The Oprah Winfrey Network announced today that it is working with Sam on a reality TV project that will show his life as the first openly gay player in the NFL.

“We are honored that Michael is trusting us with his private journey in this moment that has not only made history but will shape it forever,” Oprah Winfrey said in a statement. “I am proud of the focus on authentic storytelling in our new documentary series format.”

There’s been no word on how much access the Rams will give the reality TV cameras, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the team has some qualms about it. NFL teams generally prefer for their rookies to put all their energy into football, not outside projects. That’s why A.J. McCarron quickly distanced himself from it when his fiancee, Katherine Webb, was reportedly in talks for a reality show. And that may be why Sam, in a statement, made clear that his focus is on making the team.

“Like every player out there working to make a team right now, my focus is on playing football to the very best of my ability,” said Sam. “I am determined. And if seeing my story helps somebody else accept who they are and to go for their dreams too, that’s great. I am thankful to Oprah for her support and excited to work together.”

Working with Oprah will be nice, but working for Jeff Fisher is what Sam really needs to do in the next three months, if he still wants to be a Ram in four months.

Maybe it’s just me, but this whole thing has stunk like moldy dollar bills from the outset. Some feel a major reason he went public was that without the added exposure, he’d never get drafted. Now he gets drafted and the first thing he does is hook up with a reality show. Football has given this guy every chance in the world, but this is devolving into a debacle with the focus being anything but football. Wonder how Jeff Fisher is starting to feel now….

Imagine Hard Knocks mixed with ultimate PC correctness– if they allow cameras– players, coaches, staff will be mired in controversy then lose their jobs for saying the wrong thing or thinking the wrong thoughts.

Sure, Michael Sam is “all about football”….what a joke! This was all merely a publicity stunt and Jeff Fisher looks like an idiot for allowing this circus to come into the league. Sounds like Michael Sam’s #1 priority was getting a reality show for him and his fluffer. If here weren’t drafted, would there even be a reality show? Of course not…what a disgrace to the NFL.

I am sooooo sick of hearing about this guy! I have been a die-hard Rams fan for over 25 years. I love football. I follow it year round, from the draft to camp to pre-season etc. I wish I could hear a tenth of the news about other 10 players the Rams drafted.
My wife tried to get me to jump ship when they moved to St Louis but I stayed true. All this crap has me reconsidering.

I think the reason he fell so far in the draft wasn’t because of his football ability, but the fact that the media will make him a MAJOR distraction to the team. Now Oprah and Sam have proved it. Plus, if a team drafted him and then such media attention came about…then if you have to cut him because of his football ability…folks will claim it was because he was gay and it was a distraction to the organization is why he was cut.

No one is allowed to say anything, or give an opinion except oprah and megahead. Jeff Fisher was duped, hope sam doesn’t make the team. What a sham, thought this guy was smarter than this. A reality show? All about football, right? All about letting oprah having another 15 min of fame.

At a time when every nfl coach is fighting to keep the “Hard Knocks” cameras out of their locker room, a guy who says he won’t let his lifestyle be a distraction signs up for a reality show. It’s getting harder to defend this guy.

I have lost any interest I had in cheering for him succeed in the NFL. I think he is misleading a lot of people when he says “it’s all about football”. Totally misrepresenting his true ambition judging by this “me”ality tv show.

Sam has pretty much officially hit celebrity status. He’s probably the most famous gay guy in the world right now. He’s going to make millions, even if he doesn’t make it in football.

In fact, the best thing for him long-term would be to not even make the team, leave football, stay healthy, and live off his celebrity status. Would save his body from more wear and tear; he might even live past 50…

I am so glad the Vikings didn’t draft him. Not because of anything other than the circus atmosphere he is bringing to the team.

I think the Rams are regretting it already. The distractions are going to really bring the team down. Resentment from other players, coaches worrying about getting in trouble if they say one thing to him that he might be able to turn into something it is not.

Now you all have to eat your words! Jerrah did make a smart decision on draft day, not drafting this guy!! (can you even imagine the fiasco if he was in Dallas, so happy he is not). Sam, most are happy for you, bias is no good. You know what else is no good, false sincerity, and claiming you are “all about football and making the team” and doing something like this not even a week after being drafted. smh

Rams should have a Claus in his contract Not allowing such a move UNLESS its during the off season. But on the other hand they dont have much to lose. LOL but the OWNetwork is the perfect spot for such a project

Getting a reality show? It’s becoming more and more clear that he realizes he isn’t good enough to make a career in the NFL, and his coming out was an attempt to grab headlines and cash it while he can.

I really was rooting for this guy……until now. Its so obvious that we’re now seeing his true colors. If you’re serious about your focus on football you JUST DON’T sign up for a reality show! Not that I thought he would’ve been a fit anyhow, but I am so happy my Eagles didn’t draft this guy. What a circus!! I feel bad for Coach Fisher and the entire Rams coaching staff……I’m sure they didn’t sign up for this garbage!

I get that the importance of the first openly gay player in the nfl, but I’m starting to question whether or not he actually wants to make the team or just be a celebrity. If he wants to get accepted in the locker room he needs to earn his jersey number first. His teamates aren’t going to like him very much if he’s doing reality shows & the media is constantly asking about him without accomplishing anything first (see:Tim Tebow).

We now know how this is going to pan out since it has been a given the dweeb was never going to cut in the NFL. Too bad the Rams are going to skate off free for making a PC pick instead of trying to draft the best players possible.

The NFL, the Rams, and the failing O Network are all trying to exploit the not-good-enough for Prime Time dweeb and he shows he is facing reality by setting in motion his golden parachute from being cut from the NFL.

This guy just wants attention. He cares more about publicity than football, that is why he went out of his public way to make PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT about his sexuality. No one cares he’s gay, but people probably care he gets his own TV show. Where is Rob Branchflower’s show? He is a 7th round pick, I’d like to see HIS journey, because he probably cares about FOOTBALL.

The only reality about this show is that Sam is a publicity seeking,below average football player,who may or may not be gay,who has used and abused every fan,team and player in the nfl..thank you espn and now oprah for helping him in his quest

You all don’t even know any specifics on the agreement to do this project with OWN yet can opinion that M. Sam is not serious about the Rams and football. Must be nice to know all, see all without actually knowing, seeing anything. I’ll wait to see how it plays out before calling M. Sam a sellout.

Rams should tell Sam that they are not going to have any camera’s at camp and that if he wants to be a TV personality that is fine they can cut him right away and he can do whatever he wants on TV otherwise ditch the camera’s and focus on football.

This is so past annoying!!! Our country has become a joke! Glorifying this lifestyle choice, calling it “courageous”??? Oh my! What was the “cake” fight , he and his boy toy had on draft day???? Shocking

I just want to add that a reality show involves other people, not just you. He will be asked to talk about his team mates and coaches and describe how he perceives treatment from them. Any perception of negative treatment will be a one way conversation and exaggerated enhanced reactions. The team mates will be muzzled and not be able to respond (see what happened with the Dolphin player who did). They will be with forced smiles and nodding heads for fear of demonization by the PC police.

he better get used to getting cut, that is his future. what is with this country? we should focus on the men and women in armed services and dr’s and nurses etc. dont get me wrong, i follow nfl like crazy. sundays i watch from noon till 1030 and the thursday night games also. what has this flipping guy DONE? enough already.

If he was like every other player/rookie he would have backed away from that as fast as he could. The Rams will have to tolerate it, unless there is some backdoor payback going on via the NFL, as they seek to draw attention away from the concussion issue.

Hopefully this serves as motivation for all the other draftees and particularly the undrafted players, to play reeeeaallllyyyyy hard against this guy and make sure he does not make the team, and his “reality” show packs up and leaves town ASAP. Whatever he does after that is irrelevant. It will be interesting to see how long Oprah pals around with him if he gets cut. SHe certainly can afford to float his show for a long time if she wants though.

Dude just put his sexuality front and center. It’s open season. If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. I’m waiting for an INTELLIGENT tweet by an NFL player, along the lines of “I don’t approve of Michael Sam’s lifestyle choices, I think it is wrong, and nobody take away my freedom of speech. ” I think the players union has to back up these players when the NFL threaten the players jobs over their own personal beliefs.

This is not surprising. I said earlier he will probably fail as a football player like most of the 7th rounders
but make a ton of cash like no other 7th rounder. He is putting football second and to be honest i don’t blame him for cashing in. Any slim hope he had of being a professional football player at the highest of levels is now gone with this modern phenomenon of showing the world what a false life you live in front of the camera. As for the Rams bang goes a normal off season with this circus going on around you. You have completely wasted a pick. Rams you have been duped. The only people loving this will be those that have no interest in the game.

I bet the Rams are really happy now…they tryed to do the right thing and chances are they probably didnt want him in the 1st place because of stuff like this ..and now if he gets cut they will be groups outside the rams facilty protesting..this thing has gotten way way out of hand “

C’mon people!! This kid deserves a chance to work hard and focus on football only if he’s going to get a shot at being on the Ram’s roster. As SEC defensive player of the year, he obviously has talent. Now he needs to work on using that talent in the NFL!

I get why he would do it. For a 7th round pick it could easily be the only way to make money. I don’t know exactly what percentage of 7th rounders make the team and actually play in games, but has to be a very small number. I imagine the Rams aren’t happy about it.

This is what everyone is saying or implying, but I have to say it. This is why he lasted so long in the draft. Any organization with any sense and brains would have foreseen the media swarm and distractions his status would create for them. They have enough on their plate, what with PEDs, other drugs, domestic relations issues, frat boy behavior, DUIs, etc., etc., to worry about. Now, you introduce one more element, one more complication, to the process.
On paper, it should not be this big of a deal. In reality, we are not as advanced a society as we think. Hoo boy.

for all of you hoping he gets cut, never happen. they can’t oprah will see to it with a firestorm of bias bull. the nfl probably told the rams to draft him. i wonder what they got for doing it. welcome to pc world.

I see a lot of “Tebow” comparisons. Sure you’ve got the circus atmosphere, but with Sam you’ve got a 7th round draft pick (always long shots) and a mass-media explosion waiting to happen if he gets cut. At least Tebow was a 1st round pick. He wasn’t getting cut no matter what. Both players have the media’s attention and over-saturation, but both aren’t created equally. At least Tebow contributed to some wins (and many losses).

I lol’d when somebody above asked what it would be like if Bill Parcels coached Mr Sam. Our overly PC culture couldn’t handle the S-Storm that would create.

Great SAM now any haters have a perfect excuse YOU manufactured. Do you understand why Manziel dropped and lost $$$$? Apparently NOT. Dumb choice – you just increased your chances of legitimately getting cut about 1000 percent Mr. “I only care about football….”

I have no problem with Sam trying to earn money. As a 7th round pick, I get it. Money won’t be there from football unless he proves it and scores in a couple years. Just don’t tell me that you want to be judged as a football player only anymore. Everyone knows why you got the tv gig. Everyone knows why you’re getting the most attention heaped on a 7th round draft choice ever.

Granted the media attention is not your fault per se. I just don’t wanna hear it if you do get cut. Tebow was a first round pick, who was over evaluated. He wasn’t a first round talent but proved he could win. He was cut partly because of his skill to expectation level but partly because of the circus that follows him. Teams just don’t want that circus unless the guy can play. IMO, Tebow should be on a roster somewhere based on his talent, but his talent doesn’t outweigh the attention that he gets. And to give him credit, Tebow has never lamented in public how he’s been treated. He never blamed anyone. I’ll be surprised how Sam reacts IF he gets cut.

Michael Sam is doing everything 100% wrong. If he wants to be treated like a normal football player, act like one. Don’t be going on a reality show before you even made the league. For a 7th round pick, this guy just looks like he is trying to cash in on his fame. With all the hugging, making out, and licking cake off his boyfriend either being staged or him being a complete drama queen, and now this, Sam is off to an awful start.

wow this dude said he wanted to be known as a Football player and now he is doing a reality tv show , This is dude is a circus using his sexuality to get his five mins of fame , I have never seen a 7th round pick get so much attention , focus on football that’s what its suppose to be about right ?

He’ll never get cut. Social engineering goes to the highest levels of our society. Stick Barry’s girlfriend on the case and it wouldn’t surprise me if Sam was an honorary All-Pro with 12 tackles on the season.

Well, as a 7th rounder he’s probably not going to make it. So getting paid for this beats getting cut and getting zip. Unfortunately for him it will also make him another “enough already, please go away” celebrity.

Never before saw so many comments all of the same opinion. This was an important step forward for sports; he and Oprah have turned it into a fiasco. The Rams and Fisher and fans were supporting this step forward, only to have the rug pulled from beneath their feet. Shame on Sam, and Oprah.

Why can’t you focus on football during training camp hours and make a film on his own time? Everyone has a hobby or the right to do what they want on their own time. None of the filming will include coaches or teammates and they will not be filming on the Rams property. What’s the big deal?